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Reel Fashion: Valentino: The Last Emperor

I returned back to my desk post-spring break last week to learn that not only had our Fall 2009 backstage film been delivered--hurrah!--but also that Valentino: The Last Emperor had finally opened in Manhattan. In...

I returned back to my desk post-spring break last week to learn that not only had our Fall 2009 backstage film been delivered--hurrah!--but also that Valentino: The Last Emperor had finally opened in Manhattan. In... I returned back to my desk post-spring break last week to learn that not only had our Fall 2009 backstage film been delivered--hurrah!--but also that Valentino: The Last Emperor had finally opened in Manhattan. In fact, my entire department (plus guest intern Colby Jordan!) had already taken an end-of-workday field trip to see the film. Having waited all year for the big-screen salute to Signore Garavani, I grabbed my visiting gal pal Connie and insisted we hightail it to the Film Forum that very night. As we took our seats in the (completely packed) venue, staffers informed us that we were in for a special treat--none other than the film’s director, Matt Tyrnauer, would be appearing to introduce the documentary! "It’s 10 p.m.," Tyrnauer began, "and this is a completely sold-out show. I just can’t believe it!" The too-modest moviemaker went on to explain that The Last Emperor had been an immense and lengthy undertaking--Tyrnauer had followed Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti (the designer’s romantic and professional partner) for the final two years of their staggering 45 in the fashion industry. The result of 730 fashionable days captured on celluloid? A beautifully intimate portrait of a mysterious, often misunderstood creative mastermind who’s outfitted everyone from Jackie Kennedy to Julia Roberts. The film itself, one of the best I’ve seen this year, gives a rare glimpse at the uber-couturier’s private life. Among the details caught on camera: the couturier’s surprising stubborn streak, his self-critical design worries (we watch as the sequined trim on a gown undergoes multiple, minute changes), and his ceaseless devotion to his six pet pugs. Seeing Valentino’s decadent creations come to life was a true feast for the eyes--there’s truly no better way to admire the designer’s intricate craftsmanship than by seeing his garments writ (or rather worn) large on the silver screen. And as if the story of how Garavani’s empire slowly slipped out of his grasp (the now-retired designer’s brand is currently owned by a private firm) wasn’t moving enough, the film culminates with Valentino’s sumptuous 45th anniversary party in Rome. The fete featured aerial acrobats clad in the couturier’s finest designs--a fitting, emotional tribute to the 75-year-old dressmaker that reinvented the color red. Get thee to a theater--you don’t want to miss this fashionable flick!